‘No limits’: A timeline of Putin and Xi’s relationship

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Putin and Xi will attened an ‘infomal dinner’ in Moscow on Monday Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China’s ministry of foreign affairs, said today that Xi “will have an in-depth exchange of views with president Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern.” It is no stretch to assume that the countries’ territorial ambitions will be discussed: China, with its eye on unification with self-ruling Taiwan, and Russia, with its disemboweled tanks littered across Ukraine. The pair also signed a memorandum not to launch cyberattacks against one another – heralded as a “nonaggression pact.” 2019 ‘Comprehensive strategic partnership’ Four years later, Putin and Xi upgraded their countries’ relationship to a “comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation for a new era.” open image in gallery Xi and Putin enter a hall for talks in the Kremlin in 2019 “The China-Russia relationship is seeing a continuous, steady and sound development at a high level, and is at its best in history,” Xi declared during another state visit to Moscow. In a joint statement, Russia and China listed five basic principles of their relationship, among which was the principle of “mutual understanding and accommodation and win-win cooperation.” 2022 ‘No limits friendship’ Amid increasingly fraught relations with the West, Xi and Putin met on the sidelines of the Winter Olympic Games, hosted in Beijing Staying true to his 2013 priorities, the visit marked Xi’s first in-person meeting with a foreign leader since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. open image in gallery Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022 Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian defended China’s position on the war, saying it had “made considerable efforts to de-escalate the situation, defuse the crisis and rebuild peace.” ‘Sovereignty and security’ Xi assured Putin in May of China’s support on Russian “sovereignty and security” China is “willing to continue to offer mutual support on issues concerning core interests and major concerns such as sovereignty and security,” state broadcaster CCTV reported Xi as saying during a call with Putin.